Pool filter sand or play sand substrate for planted tanks.

[TankedUp]

After years of cleaning my tank my sand substrate is getting thin. I have recently added plants to my tank and would like deeper substrate for planting. Which is better pool filter sand that is silica or play sand? What sand is more coarse?

[FishyThoughts]

I have not use filter sand or play sand. I’ve used the sand marketed as aquarium sand, super expensive if you were to need more than one bag. And I’ve used sand from a landscaping supplier, is a cheaper option with limit choices when you need a lot. 

But filter sand is much finer and uniformed grain sizes, while play sand is coarser and not uniform grain sizes. 

[MAC]

I've tried a few different play sands and they have been more of a mess than anything. 

[Alec2cool]

I have personally used both types of sand and I don't recommend either for growing any plants the obtain their nutrients from the substrate. Stem plants or "water column" feeders do alright.

I have struggled to grow my valisneria, crinum calimistratum and dwarf hairgrass in pool filter sand with terrible results. All the plants struggled to grow even with plenty of root tabs and malaysian trumpet snails to keep the sand from getting compacted. My dwarf hairgrass eventually faded to extinction with my crinum calimistratum nearly having the same fate. I eventually moved my Crinum into a tank with a gravel substrate and it thrived beyond belief. Within 3-4 months, it had tripled in size. However, I desperately wanted that plant in my big sand tank for aesthetics and I eventually placed it back in there. Within 2 months, the crinkled "tentacle-like" leaves started turning brown and just yesterday, I decided to give up on my original planted dream for my sand tank and moved all root-feeders to my other 55g with a gravel substrate.

However, my plants such as Ludwigia, Anubias, Water Wisteria, Pennywort and many other water-column feeder plants thrive or do alright in my sand tank. If you plan on using water-column feeders, you'll likely do fine with a sand substrate. (My Anubias and Water Wisteria especially thrived in pool filter sand)

I had a 10g with play sand and that substrate was the worst to deal with out of the many I've tried. Even after extensive washing of the sand in a bucket and more water changes than I can even think of, the tank continued to be cloudy with dust-like particles covering the glass within hours of cleaning them. I wouldn't recommend it at all, even for a non-planted tank. Even the fish, snails and crayfish were covered in this dust. It was this play sand tank that claimed the last of the dwarf hairgrass that I had pulled from my bigger 55g sand tank. I eventually reset the tank and threw that sand out. I'm actually so frustrated with that type of sand and in my failure of using it that I want to try it again and figure out how other people have managed to make it work in their tanks.

While I don't recommend sand for planted tanks, I'm not against it either. If you decide to go the planted sand route, you may discover something that works that I haven't and perhaps you'll let me know!

[Schwack]

I looked into play sand for the last tank I setup. Read lots of stories that sound just like @Alec2cool's experience. Mostly that it was messy and took forever to settle out.

I opted to try sand blasting sand instead and so far I've been very happy with the results. It did take a fair amount of washing, but I've seen people online who say they don't even bother to wash it anymore. The siltiest bits of sand settle out pretty quickly and can be gravel vac'd up. I went with Black Diamond 1630 blasting sand. $10 for 50 lbs is tough to beat. The 1630 is pretty fine, but I find it a bit easier to work with than some of the coarser sands I'm using.

[TankedUp]

Sounds like pool filter sand is the better option. I have white aquarium sand now and my jungle val seems to be happy with root tabs. I like the look of light colored substrate. Has anyone tried to cover planted substrate with sand? Might be something to try.

[JettsPapa]

I've used both, and much prefer the pool filter sand.  It's a little more expensive, but the play sand I bought was very coarse, almost like very small gravel, and required a lot of rinsing . . . and when I thought it was rinsed well enough it still took several days for the water to clear.

I've used two brands of pool filter sand, and haven't rinsed either one.  One of them clouded the water just slightly for about a day, and the other one not at all.

[Mmiller2001]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JJ5GXSK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This stuff is awesome!